It's All Part Of The Show 'The Carnival Of Glass'

Chapter XXI 🎪In The Big Top

While she wasn't actually inside the Big Top Tent where I, her father, was about to do only the Devil knows what to these two people, she can re-tell you what I, Marcus Cochran had relayed back to Madison.

  I told her 'I took care of things' And I 'Made things right.' -Though, when you have the heart of a Carnival, the soul of a circus, and the heart of that same carnival's ringmaster, you get stuck with half and a half: A mind half-Devil and half something else.

  Madison was of my blood, of my D.N.A, and she shared the heart of a carnival and the soul of a circus. Though only time would decide if she had my half ink and half something else type of mind. Half Mister TopHat and half Mister Ink.

  Madison knew I would not let Alphie and Eia leave.

  I walked through the maze of the eight or more performer's trailers.

As I walked up the wooden stairs of my inner chamber, I nodded to the two husky clowns standing guard by my chamber making sure they were aware of the importance of the child behind the door they were guarding.

I made sure I wasn't followed as I watched the beams of their flashlights fade out of sight before opening the door with a squeak of time and aging.

Once inside, I stepped through the darkness at the back of the chamber, glancing at Madison before stepping out onto the dark stage amidst the empty ring.

"I know why you're here. It's about the girl who went missing, isn't it?"

I said menacingly with a glow of power in my rich green eyes.

"How did y-"

Eia began.

"Where is she!?"

Yelled Alphie almost spitting.

I wasn't at all afraid, not even intimidated at the slightest.

  "Let me, see if I can't, shed some light on the situation."

I said getting closer and closer with each dramatized step.

I'll admit, I liked using my height to my advantage, a lot.

"What are you d-"

Said Eia.

            "Shh! Don't speak. You're not directly my enemy, but your more than any child's enemy. You're their nightmare! I think we both know that there's only a place for one nightmare -And that's my carnival. You are my worst nightmare just as much as you are that poor kid's biggest nightmare."

I said with annoyance in my voice.

"You-" 

Alphie began.

I was bloody mad. Bloody fuck'n mad. What's new? Nothing.

  "DO NOT SPEAK."

   I said not yelling but in a firm, low tone. -I was infuriated! I was just, bruuuuuh. I had to manage my nerves.

   I pointed to the second exit of the tent with my cane making sure Bartholomew and the real clowns understood my gesture.

They did.

"You are gonna pay for this!"

Said Eia.

"You're a madman!"

Followed Alphie.

William help me! Lovely Lucy! Ohh, I almost laughed, no -I did laugh. This was kinda fun, they were afraid of me.

This was fun!

            "Ohh, I can hear your fears. They are quite nice. And while I do appreciate your special fears feeding my vitality, the fear that little girl has of both of you, won't give either of you freaks any vitality. You do not deserve any vitality. You deserve to live the life you lead, and we all know the lives you've both led with your heads held high -Lives that turned what was supposed to be a happy childhood and life into a scary story and a hell. Now, I think it's time you stop stealing my daughter from me! Your stories end here. Your terrorizing that child is something that deserves a fate worse than death. In your case though, tonight is your lucky night because I'm no better than you two if I lock you in a room, or if I hit you till your faces become numb. You won't feel anything, but I however might feel a little better knowing you're not tormenting anyone else because where you're going, you'll have a taste of what that all feels like. Oh, and, just remember... It's, all, part, of, the, show. "

I spoke as Bartholomew grabbed Alphie firmly.

"Tonight is the night that your story ends!"

I ordered Bartholomew to keep his firm hold on Alphie who was giving us both looks of him being far beyond pissed off. Eia thought it was a mix between being discussed with us, and being seemingly terrified...

               GOOD! -LET THE BIG CLOWNS BE SCARED BEYOND THEIR WITS, SERVES THEM DARN RIGHT!

"You, grab her and follow Bartholomew."

I ordered a member of the carnival staff dressed as a husky clown to take hold of Eia and go outside. It was pouring, and it was like buckets raining down when all five of us left the covering of the tent. I held my cane tightly in my left hand pointing at Alphie and Eia as the amber-colored stone began to flicker.

Suddenly, they tried to leave. They brushed past me pushing me to the ground.

"After them! What are you waiting for?! Get after them! Now!"

I yelled to the other carnival staff.

I raised my right hand to push the wet strands of my hair out of my eyes.

The drops of rain forced me to blink several times as the rainwater weighed down my eyelashes.

The Guy In The TopHat: "We all love magic. Everyone! Each man, woman, and child adores an illusion. We like being scared. I'm here to be your nightmare! We treasure being fooled. And tonight, you're going to witness the magic. You're going to witness an illusion. You're going to witness a scare. If this seems too cruel, if it seems like it's too much to bear, just remember what's lurking in the outside world and you should just remember... It's all part of the show!"

              Just like that, they both fizzled out into dust as the wind and rain took their souls. They were both gone, and it didn't seem to bother Madison -Why would it? She had me.

I smiled.

Madison placed the hat back atop my head as I wrapped my arms around my long-lost daughter and Madison didn't hesitate one second more to have love, safety, brightness, protection, and a father back in her life. She watched as the person she could now call her father, as I flashed her a smile and a quick wink as I slipped away into a secret part of the tent to begin my show.

Madison watched me as the rumble of the crowd's pounding feet, clapping hands and boisterous cheering danced in the crisp Autumn air.

              She thought It all seemed so natural for me, and she wondered how I did it. Bartholomew's deep bellowing voice echoed all around.

(1, 138 words)